Fender bush and vehicle front structure

Abstract

The invention provides a fender bush and a vehicle front structure. A fender bush according to the present invention is provided with a front fender bush which is disposed on the vehicle front side of a wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower, and the rear edge portion of which is disposed so as to overlap the vehicle lower side of the front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate. On the vehicle front side of the suspension tower, a strip-shaped protrusion is formed on the rear edge portion of the front side fender bush, the strip-shaped protrusion protrudes toward the vehicle upper side, extends in the vehicle width direction, and protrudes toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view and bends.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a front structure of a vehicle, in particular to a fender bushing. Background Art

[0002] The front structure of a vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-172126 below includes: a front fender bushing that covers the front wheel along the circumferential direction of the front wheel provided at the front of the vehicle; and a splash shield that covers the front of the front wheel from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the inner bent portion of the front fender bushing abuts against the splash shield from the outside in the vehicle width direction. The splash shield includes a rib that is adjacent to the abutting position abutted against the inner bent portion of the front fender bushing and extends in the vehicle up-down direction. Thus, even when the splash shield is pressed inward in the vehicle width direction due to water pressure, the infiltration of splashed water into the engine compartment is suppressed. Summary of the invention

[0003] A wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front fender bushing. The rear edge of the front fender bushing is overlapped and disposed on the vehicle lower side of the front edge of the wheel house metal plate. Since there is a gap between the front edge of the wheel house metal plate and the rear edge of the front fender bushing, muddy water and the like swept up by the rotation of the front wheel may penetrate into the front compartment such as the engine compartment through the above-mentioned gap. If the muddy water and other dirt that penetrate into the front compartment adheres to the upper surface of the front fender bushing, the user will see the above-mentioned dirt when opening the front engine hood, thereby deteriorating the appearance. In particular, in a battery electric vehicle whose front compartment is simplified compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle, since the dirt attached to the upper surface of the front fender bushing is difficult to be concealed by electrical wiring, tanks, etc., the appearance is easily deteriorated. If, for example, a sealing material is added between the front fender liner and the wheel house metal plate, or a cover is added to block dirt in order to prevent this, this causes an increase in cost.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above facts and aims to provide a fender liner and a vehicle front structure that can prevent or suppress deterioration of the appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner without adding a sealing material or the like.

[0005] A fender bushing of a first embodiment includes a front fender bushing arranged on a vehicle front side of a wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower, and a rear edge portion of the front fender bushing is arranged to overlap and be arranged on a vehicle lower side of a front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate.

[0006] A strip protrusion is formed on a rear edge portion of the front fender bushing on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower. The strip protrusion protrudes toward the vehicle upper side, extends in the vehicle width direction, and is convex and bent toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view.

[0007] According to the fender bushing of the first embodiment, a front fender bushing is arranged on the vehicle front side of a wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower. The rear edge of the front fender bushing is overlapped and arranged on the vehicle lower side of the front edge of the wheel house metal plate. A strip protrusion is formed at the rear edge of the front fender bushing on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower. The strip protrusion protrudes toward the upper side of the vehicle, extends in the vehicle width direction, and bulges and bends toward the rear side of the vehicle when viewed from above. Therefore, in the case where muddy water or the like swept up by the rotation of the wheel in the wheel house penetrates into the gap between the front edge of the wheel house metal plate and the rear edge of the front fender bushing, the muddy water or the like flows along the strip protrusion to both sides in the vehicle width direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress the muddy water or the like from adhering to the upper surface of the front fender bushing on the vehicle front side of the strip protrusion. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress deterioration of the appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner without adding a sealing material or the like.

[0008] The fender bushing of the second embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, a rib and a flange are formed on the rear edge portion of the front fender bushing which is closer to the rear side of the vehicle than the strip-shaped protrusion, the rib being opposed to the longitudinal wall provided on the front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate from the rear side of the vehicle, and the flange extending from the upper end of the rib toward the rear side of the vehicle, and being opposed to the upper wall extending from the upper end of the longitudinal wall of the wheel house metal plate toward the rear side of the vehicle from the lower side of the vehicle.

[0009] According to the fender bushing of the second embodiment, a rib is formed at the rear edge of the front fender bushing on the rear side of the vehicle relative to the strip-shaped protrusion. The rib is opposed to the longitudinal wall provided on the front edge of the wheel house metal plate from the rear side of the vehicle. A flange extends from the upper end of the rib to the rear side of the vehicle. The flange is opposed to the upper wall extending from the upper end of the longitudinal wall of the wheel house metal plate to the rear side of the vehicle from the lower side of the vehicle. Through these ribs and flanges, it is possible to directly prevent muddy water and the like from infiltrating into the gap between the front edge of the wheel house metal plate and the rear edge of the front fender bushing. In addition, even if muddy water and the like have infiltrated into the gap, the muddy water and the like flow through the upper wall and the longitudinal wall and the flange and the ribs, thereby slowing down the flow rate of the muddy water and the like. As a result, muddy water or the like becomes difficult to get over the ridge, and therefore it is possible to further prevent or suppress muddy water or the like from adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the ridge.

[0010] A vehicle front structure according to a third aspect includes:

[0011] wheel house sheet metal, which features suspension towers;

[0012] In the fender lining of the first aspect or the second aspect, a rear edge portion of the front side fender lining is arranged to overlap with a vehicle lower side of a front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate.

[0013] In the third aspect, the rear edge of the front fender bushing is overlapped and arranged on the vehicle lower side of the front edge of the wheel house metal plate having the suspension tower. Since the front fender bushing is the front fender bushing of the first aspect or the second aspect, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

[0014] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress deterioration of the appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner without adding a sealing material or the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols represent like elements, and in which:

[0016] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a plan view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a plan view showing a part of the fender bushing according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 A portion of the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment is shown. Figure 3 The cross-sectional view corresponding to the IV-IV line.

[0020] Figure 5 For explaining the flow of muddy water, etc. Figure 4 The corresponding cross-sectional view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 5 The vehicle front structure 10 involved in the embodiment of the present invention is described. In addition, in each of the drawings, in order to facilitate the observation of the drawings, there is a case where a part of the symbols are omitted. In addition, the arrow mark FR, arrow mark UP, arrow mark IN, and arrow mark OUT appropriately recorded in each of the drawings respectively represent the front direction (travel direction), the upper direction, the inner side of the width direction (left-right direction), and the outer side of the width direction of the vehicle. In the following, when only the front and rear, left and right, and up and down directions are used for description, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the direction for the vehicle is indicated.

[0022] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the vehicle front structure 10 according to the present embodiment is a structure that constitutes the wheel house 12 at the right front of the vehicle as an example, and includes a wheel house metal plate 18 having a suspension tower 20 and a fender bushing 30. The vehicle front structure 10 is provided with respect to the front cabin 14 ( Figure 1 The front compartment 14 is provided with an engine and a motor (not shown) as a driving source of the vehicle. In addition, when the vehicle front structure 10 constitutes a wheel house on the left side of the vehicle, it becomes a left-right symmetrical structure with the present embodiment.

[0023] The wheel house metal plate 18 is formed of, for example, a stamped steel plate, and together with the fender upper member 28, forms a part of the front fender 16 on the right side of the vehicle. The fender upper member 28 is a frame member of a closed cross-section structure extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is formed by combining, for example, a plurality of members formed of stamped steel plates. A suspension tower 20 is provided at the center of the wheel house metal plate 18, and the suspension tower 20 fixes the upper end of the front suspension (not shown). Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 In the figure, reference numeral 29 denotes a reinforcement panel which spans the front portion of the wheel house metal plate 18 and is joined to the fender upper member 28 .

[0024] The fender bushing 30 is a component for preventing muddy water or the like stirred up by the front wheel of the vehicle (not shown) from entering the wheel house, and is arranged below the wheel house metal plate 18 and the fender upper member 28. The fender bushing 30 is a molded product of, for example, synthetic resin, and is formed in an arched shape. The fender bushing 30 is fixed to the wheel house metal plate 18 and the fender upper member 28 using a clamp or the like. The inner end of the fender bushing 30 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the fender fender (not shown) using a clamp or the like. The outer end of the fender bushing 30 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the fender panel (not shown) using a clamp or the like.

[0025] The fender bushing 30 integrally includes a front fender bushing 32, a rear fender bushing 34, and an outer fender bushing 36. The front fender bushing 32 is disposed on the front side with respect to the wheel house metal plate 18. The rear fender bushing 34 is disposed on the rear side with respect to the wheel house metal plate 18. The outer fender bushing 36 is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the wheel house metal plate 18. The front fender bushing 32 and the rear fender bushing 34 are integrally connected by the outer fender bushing 36.

[0026] A visible area V is provided on the upper surface of the front fender liner 32, in front of the wheel house metal plate 18 and inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the apron upper member 28. The visible area V is an area that is not covered by electrical wiring or tanks disposed in the front cabin 14 and is an area that can be visually recognized by the user of the vehicle when the front hood of the vehicle is opened.

[0027] At the rear side of the visible area V, the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32 (see Figures 3 to 5 ) is overlapped and arranged on the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18 (see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 ) below. Figures 3 to 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , a strip protrusion 40 is formed on the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32. The strip protrusion 40 is formed by a portion of the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32 protruding upward, and extends in the vehicle width direction. The strip protrusion 40 protrudes and bends (here, is bent) toward the rear side of the vehicle when viewed from above, and has a substantially inverted V-shaped cross section when viewed in the vehicle width direction. The strip protrusion 40 is covered from the upper side by the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18.

[0028] The strip-shaped protrusion 40 has a portion 40B located outside the vehicle width direction relative to the bent portion 40A provided at the center portion in the vehicle width direction, which is inclined or curved toward the vehicle front side as it approaches the vehicle width direction outside. A portion 40C located inside the vehicle width direction relative to the bent portion 40A is inclined or curved toward the vehicle front side as it approaches the vehicle width direction inside. At the location outside the vehicle width direction relative to the bent portion 40A, the upper surface of the front fender liner 32 is inclined or curved toward the vehicle width direction outside and the vehicle front side in a downward slope. At the location inside the vehicle width direction relative to the bent portion 40A, the upper surface of the front fender liner 32 is inclined or curved toward the vehicle width direction inside and the vehicle front side in a downward slope.

[0029] A rib 42 and a flange 44 are formed on the rear edge 32A of the front fender liner 32, which is on the rear side of the strip-shaped protrusion 40. The rib 42 is a part of the rear edge 32A of the front fender liner 32 that is integrally extended toward the upper side, and is in the shape of a plate with the thickness direction being approximately the front-rear direction. The rib 42 is slightly inclined so as to tend toward the rear side as it tends toward the upper side. The flange 44 is integrally extended from the upper end of the rib 42 toward the rear side, and is in the shape of a plate with the thickness direction being approximately the up-down direction. The flange 44 is slightly inclined so as to tend toward the upper side as it tends toward the rear side.

[0030] The ribs 42 and flanges 44 mentioned above are opposite to the longitudinal wall 22 and the upper wall 24 provided on the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18. Similar to the ribs 42, the longitudinal wall 22 is in the shape of a plate with the thickness direction being approximately in the front-to-back direction, and is slightly inclined in a manner tending to the rear side as it tends to the upper side. The ribs 42 approach and face the longitudinal wall 22 from the rear side of the vehicle. The upper wall 24 extends from the upper end of the longitudinal wall 22 to the rear side. Similar to the flanges 44, the upper wall 24 is in the shape of a plate with the thickness direction being approximately in the up-down direction, and is slightly inclined in a manner tending to the upper side as it tends to the rear side. The flanges 44 approach and face the upper wall 24 from the lower side.

[0031] There is a small gap between the upper wall 24 and the flange 44, and between the longitudinal wall 22 and the rib 42. A lower wall 26 extends from the lower end of the longitudinal wall 22 toward the front side. The lower wall 26 is in the shape of a plate with the plate thickness direction being approximately in the up-down direction, and is slightly inclined in a manner tending to the lower side as it tends to the front side. The strip protrusion 40 described above is covered from the upper side by the lower wall 26. There is a small gap between the strip protrusion 40 and the lower wall 26.

[0032] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0033] According to the vehicle front structure 10 having the above structure, the front fender bushing 32 of the fender bushing 30 is arranged on the front side of the wheel house metal plate 18 having the suspension tower 20. The rear edge portion 32A of the front fender bushing 32 is arranged to overlap the lower side of the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18. A strip protrusion 40 is formed on the front side of the suspension tower 20 at the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender bushing 32. The strip protrusion 40 protrudes upward, extends in the vehicle width direction, and bulges and bends toward the rear side when viewed from above.

[0034] Here, when the vehicle is traveling in a bad environment such as a flooded road, muddy water or the like stirred up by the rotation of the front wheel in the wheel house 12 may sometimes penetrate into the gap between the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18 and the rear edge portion 32A of the front side fender liner 32. In such a case, the muddy water or the like that penetrates into the above-mentioned gap flows along the above-mentioned strip-shaped protrusions 40 to both sides in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 3 As shown in arrow marks W1, W2, muddy water or the like can be prevented or suppressed from adhering to the visible area V of the upper surface of the front fender liner 32. As a result, the deterioration of the appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the visible area V can be prevented or suppressed without adding a sealing material or a cover, and an increase in manufacturing cost can be avoided.

[0035] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a rib 42 is formed at the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32 on the rear side relative to the strip-shaped protrusion 40. The rib 42 faces the longitudinal wall 22 provided on the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18 from the rear side. A flange 44 extends from the upper end of the rib 42 to the rear side. The flange 44 faces the upper wall 24 extending from the upper end of the longitudinal wall 22 of the wheel house metal plate 18 to the rear side from the lower side.

[0036] The ribs 42 and flanges 44 can directly prevent muddy water and the like from entering the gap between the front edge 18A of the wheel house metal plate 18 and the rear edge 32A of the front fender liner 32 (see FIG. Figure 5 Even if muddy water or the like has penetrated into the above-mentioned gap, the muddy water or the like flows between the upper wall 24 and the flange 44 and between the longitudinal wall 22 and the rib 42, thereby slowing down the flow rate of the muddy water or the like (refer to Figure 5 As a result, muddy water or the like becomes difficult to cross the strip-shaped protrusions 40, so that muddy water or the like can be further prevented or suppressed from adhering to the visible area V.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the fender liner 30 is configured to integrally include the front fender liner 32, the rear fender liner 34, and the outer fender liner 36, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the fender liner may be divided into the front fender liner and the rear fender liner.

[0038] In addition, in the above embodiment, the strip protrusion 40 is configured to be convex and curved toward the rear side in a plan view, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the strip protrusion may be configured to be convex and curved toward the rear side in a plan view.

[0039] In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the scope of rights of the present invention is obviously not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

Claims

1. A fender bushing, comprising a front fender bushing, the front fender bushing being arranged on a vehicle front side of a wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower, and a rear edge portion of the front fender bushing being arranged to overlap and be arranged on a vehicle lower side of a front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate, A strip protrusion is formed on a rear edge portion of the front fender bushing on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower. The strip protrusion protrudes toward the vehicle upper side, extends in the vehicle width direction, and is convex and bent toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view.

2. The fender bushing according to claim 1, wherein: A rib and a flange are formed on the rear edge of the front fender bushing on the rear side of the vehicle relative to the strip-shaped protrusion, the rib being opposed to the longitudinal wall provided on the front edge of the wheel house metal plate from the rear side of the vehicle, and the flange extending from the upper end of the rib toward the rear side of the vehicle, and being opposed to the upper wall extending from the upper end of the longitudinal wall of the wheel house metal plate toward the rear side of the vehicle from the lower side of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle front structure, comprising: wheel house sheet metal, which features suspension towers; The fender bushing according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The rear edge portion of the front side fender liner is arranged to overlap the front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate on the vehicle lower side.

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